HOMEBREW Digest #4203 Mon 24 March 2003


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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  re: Kessler Brewing (Gunnar Emilsson)
  Re: Reference Books ("Bill Halstead")
  PID controll ("A.J. deLange")
  Igloo Conversion (mpmarus)
  Lallemand Scholarship (Jeremy Lenzendorf)
  Irish Red (Cas Koralewski)
  Re: PID controller & SSR ("Mike Sharp")
  Re: Mash Mixer ("Jack Schmidling")
  Re: all-grain terminology and yeast (Brian Dube)
  Decanting Yeast Starters ("Bob Sutton")
  White Labs yeast spew and dry hop question (Ben Hanson)
  Mash Mixer torque (stencil)
  overnight mashing redux ("Tom & Dana Karnowski")
  Beerjolais nouveau (Jeff Renner)

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2003 20:56:18 -0800 (PST) From: Gunnar Emilsson <cdmfed_emilsson at yahoo.com> Subject: re: Kessler Brewing In HBD #4201 Neb Bosworth asks: >I have a buddy whose last name is Kessler and he had >found some old ads for >Kessler ale. I was wondering if anyone out there has >ever come across a >clone recipe for a Kessler beer? If so, where might I >lay my hands on such a >thing? if such a thing exists. As you are inquiring about my extinct (twice now) hometown brewery, I feel compelled to answer. Nicholas Kessler established the Kessler brewery in Helena, Montana in the gold rush days in the early 1870s. His progeny carried on the brewery which survived prohibition and lasted until the late 1950s or 1960s. It fell the fate of all the regional breweries in Montana, which included the Highlander label in Missoula, Butte Sepcial Beer in Butte, and Great Falls Select (which was the longest lasting brewery, finally falling extinct in the late 1970s, although by that time it was being brewed by Olympia in Tumwater, WA). In 1984, the Kessler label was revived, albeit by different parties than the Kessle family. They brewed and bottled microbrew in an old warehouse by the train depot, not in the lovely old Kessler Brewery which survives to those day on the west end of town as a warehouse for a local beverage distributor (those interested in old brewery architecture should visit it!) Kessler the microbrewery brewed some mighty fine microbeers, both under their own name and under contract throughot the west. Sadly, they ran into hard financial times, changed ownership, gave up the brewing end of business in favor of "custom" sodas. Brewing ceased completely around 2000, and I don't think the soda is made any more. Neb asks how to clone Kessler beer. There are a lot of answers to that, depending on which product you are after. According to my 68-year old uncle, the Kessler Regional Brewery of the 1950s produced the worst swill imaginable, and the 1980s microbrewery's products were way better than what was produced at that time. Kessler Microbrewery back in the 1980s and early 1990s produced outstanding beer with an emphasis on malt rathter than hops. I believe they won some medals at the GABF. Their Ale No. 77 was the best American amber I have ever tasted, and their doppelbock rated right up there with Salvator and Celebrator (IMHO). But since your friend is interested in historic beers, the best microbrew of Kessler I would try to clone would be their Lorelei Extra Pale, which was based on an old Nicholas Kessler recipe from pre-prohibition (there is an excellent old advertising poster for Lorelei from that era that was used as the label for the microbrew). Unfortunately, I don't have the recipe and the brewers have moved on. Based on my recollection of its taste, I would brew a CAP, add perhaps a half or whole pound of munich to it, and use Hallertau for the flavor hops. The one beer of theirs I wish I could replicate was an amber wheat I bought for my wedding reception in 1990. It was unlike any other wheat beer I have ever tried - sort of like a Vienna lager brewed with 40% wheat. It was indescribably delicious. Gunnar Emilsson Helena, Montana Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 06:54:19 -0500 From: "Bill Halstead" <bbhalstead at hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Reference Books All, In regard to Steinfillers question about reference books I would certainly concur with Mr. Daniels. Another book that can serve as a good reference source, though not as technical nor as in depth as some of the other books mentioned, is "The Brewers' Handbook" by Ted Goldammer. It's 457 pages and gives an excellent overview of the commercial brewing process as well as has chapters on the U.S. beer market and beer styles. Bill Halstead Dallas, Texas Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 13:16:04 +0000 From: "A.J. deLange" <ajdel at cox.net> Subject: PID controll The on/off relays in a PID controller can certainly be used to fire the SSR's in proportional output mode. As the mechanical relays will fail after a ceratain number of operations it's clear that if you can live with a 30 second cycle time a relay will serve three times as long as it would with a 10 second cycle. As a relay breaking only SSR control current is stressed a lot less than one interrupting full rated load the relay is likely to last quite a while. Yes it is possible to kluge up an SCR lamp dimmer to be controlled by an analog output. You would obviously need analogue output from your controller to do this. Many of the Omega controllers allow you to plug any of several kinds of outputs into ther mother board so you might be able to get 0 - 5 v or 4-20ma output from the device you have. The next trick is to convert the analogue signal to firing angle signals for the SCRs and to deliver these signals to the gates of the SCRs whilst keeping the control circuit electically isolated. This is not a particularly sophisticated circuit but probably not something you'd want to do yourself unless you have some experience in such things. I think Omega may sell modules that produce gate signals but perhaps only to drive their own SCR controls. It's probably worth checking the catalogue. A.J. Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 11:24:11 -0500 From: mpmarus at hotpop.com Subject: Igloo Conversion I'm about to make the leap from extract brewing to partial-mash. My roommate found me a 3qt Igloo cheap at a local discount store. Aha! The reason it was discounted was, it has no spigot. Now, I found a copy of Ken Schwarz's presentation from the 1998 AHA National Conference, and the Appendix has very good instructions for converting a cooler to a mash tun once the spigot is removed. So, my question is, do I drill a 7/8" hole in the spigot place and follow his instructions, or does one of my fellow HBD readers have another (I hope better!) suggestion? Mary Johnson Retriever Brewers http://www.mj-pg.com/brewers.htm brewing at [7341, 7.3] Apparent Rennerian from "Converting All-Grain Recipes to Extract/Partial Mash" "For the Igloo partial-masher, you'll need an Igloo "Legend" 2 gallon (7.6L) beverage cooler, a rubber mini-keg bung (available at most homebrew shops), a 1-1/2" length of 3/8 ID x 1/2" OD vinyl tubing, a 1-1/4" length of 1/4" ID x 3/8" OD vinyl tubing, a three-foot length of 1/4" OD vinyl tubing, a pinch clamp, and a Sure-Screen(tm) from Sheaf & Vine (ask your homebrew supplier or see http://www.brewinfo.com/brewinfo/surescreen.html). This pre-welded rolled stainless steel screen is sturdy and is ideal for this application. Or, you can substitute a 5-1/2" length of 3/8" OD copper/brass/stainless/aluminum tubing crimped shut at one end and drilled through with 3/16" holes every 1/4" (start 1" from the open end). Also, any insulated cooler with a 7/8" diameter spigot hole will work with the mini-keg bung if you can't find the Igloo Legend. 1. Remove the factory-installed spigot from the cooler. 2. Remove the hard plastic plug from the bung and install the bung into the spigot hole, with the large flat end facing inside the cooler. Work the bung into position so that the groove around the bung "locks" around the edge of the hole. 3. Insert the open end of the Sure-Screen or copper tube 3/8" into the open end of the 1/2" OD tubing. This will be a tight fit but that's what we want. 4. Insert the 3/8" OD x 1/4" ID tubing into the 1/2" OD tubing. Use some food-safe silicone sealant to lubricate and seal the connection. 5. Insert the 1/4" OD tubing into the 1/4" ID tubing, again using silicone sealant. 6. Feed the assembly, 1/4" tubing first, through the bung from the inside of the cooler. Work the assembly in so that the end of the vinyl tubing is just flush with the end of the bung inside the cooler. Use pliers to carefully pull the tubing from the outside if you must, gripping only the 1/2" OD tubing, to position the assembly. 7. The bung will continuously press inward on the layered tubing as well as on the Sure-Screen or metal tubing, sealing the connections for leak-free mashing." Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 16:48:09 GMT From: Jeremy Lenzendorf <jlenzendorf at progeng.com> Subject: Lallemand Scholarship Hello brewers: As you may have noticed Lallemand will be sponsoring the Fourth Annual Lallemand Scholarship. As the lucky winner last year I would first like to thank Jean Chagnon, Gordon Specht and Sigrid Gertsen-Briand of Lallemand for their sponsorship. I would also like to thank Lyn Kruger of the Siebel Institute of Technology for a great two weeks of learning last fall. Especially, I would like to thank Keith Lemcke of the Siebel Institute of Technology for choosing my entry at the last NHC!! Also Rob Moline for facilitating Lallemand's support and helping me prepare for the Concise Course. Now I would like to encourage anyone who is a member of the AHA to go to http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/scholarship.html and enter the drawing. You can also get an additional entry by submitting a ballot for the AHA Board of Advisors election. If you aren't a member of the American Homebrewers Association, a chance at an opportunity like this is definitely worth joining. You don't have to be an experienced brewer or have a great setup to win. I had only been extract brewing for a few years and got lucky, so can you! As additional encouragement, this will be the first Concise Course at the new campus at Goose Island Brewpub, so I'm quite envious of the hands-on demonstrations that will be available! So, go enter and vote for your chance to be the luckiest AHA member at the 25th National Homebrewers Conference! Good luck! Jeremy Lenzendorf West Bend, WI Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 13:17:56 -0500 From: Cas Koralewski <caskor at buckeye-express.com> Subject: Irish Red What BJCP style does "Irish Red Ale" fall into? Thanks, Cas Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 13:05:09 -0800 From: "Mike Sharp" <rdcpro at hotmail.com> Subject: Re: PID controller & SSR Doug Moyer had a question about a PID controller & SSR "I have an Omega 1/16 DIN MICROMEGA Autotune PID Temperature Controller, model CN77333. This unit's outputs are both Relay SPDT 5 A at 120. As I understand it, these are mechanical relays, as opposed to SSRs. As such is it possible to use this unit to control a RIMS heater?" Set the time constant to a value somewhere around 2 seconds, and you should be ok with the relays. You'll need to set up some sort of control voltage for the SSR--but that will depend on the SSR. Wire the control voltage through the NO contact of the relay. The relay is 5A at 120V, but that doesn't mean it "puts out" 120v...that's just it's rating. Relays have a limited life, but it's probably in the hundreds of thousands of cycles, so I wouldn't worry too much. "I am currently controlling my RIMS heating element with a dimmer switch with 15A rating...Is there a way that I can hack this apart and control it with an analog output?" I've wondered this myself...I guess it's possible. The dimmer probably turns a variable resistor which provides a voltage to a bridge of some sort that controls when the SCR or triac fires. But your PID doesn't have an analog output, so you're probably outta luck. SSRs aren't all THAT expensive. You might find a suitable one at a scrapyard/surplus store. Regards, Mike Sharp Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 15:16:58 -0600 From: "Jack Schmidling" <arf at mc.net> Subject: Re: Mash Mixer >From: "Reddy, Pat" <Pat.Reddy at mavtech.cc> >Does anyone know, or care to guess, about how much torque is required (in >lbs/in) to stir a 10 gallon mash tun? >I'm looking for a used gearmotor to fit my needs and I've found several but >I'm not sure if their powerful enough. Check out my MIXMASHER page http://schmidling.netfirms.com/mix.htm I use a 10 in/lb motor for my 10 gallon masher but as mentioned in the article, I would go a little more if I were to do it again. I have been using it for years and don't know why or how I ever brewed without it and never have any problems. So I am not sure why I said it could use more power but I must have had some reason. js Check out the BAREBONES MALTMILL http://schmidling.netfirms.com/barebone.htm Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 16:19:58 -0600 From: Brian Dube <brian.dube at gotgoat.com> Subject: Re: all-grain terminology and yeast Thanks for all the replies about runoff and yeast starters. - -- Brian Dube Columbia, Missouri Return to table of contents
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 18:22:27 -0500 From: "Bob Sutton" <Bob at homebrew.com> Subject: Decanting Yeast Starters Decanting will prevent off-flavors from the starter from being carried over. You may not notice this with a stout or porter, but it is detectable with a pale ale. Generally I knockout the yeast in the refrigerator for 24 hours just prior to brew day. They settle out nicely. I decant and leave the yeast at room temperature about the time I begin to cool the wort. That gives the yeast 1-2 hours to acclimate to fermentation brewing temperature. Bob in the SC foothills Fruit Fly Brewhaus Yesterday's Technology Today /_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Brian Dube asked... Is it necessary to decant all yeast starters or is this a step used with lager yeasts? If I'm completely off and my question is confusing, I ask about lager yeasts because decanting a top-fermenting ale starter before pitching strikes me as counterproductive. Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2003 08:52:10 -0500 From: Ben Hanson <bhanson at rica.net> Subject: White Labs yeast spew and dry hop question Well, I've somewhat re-entered the brewing hobby lately. I hadn't found time since my youngest child was born, but all such things seem to pass. In the past, I had always cultured a starter and made a pitchable quantity of yeast, but was interested now in the available 'pitchable quantity' packages from White labs or WyYeast, so I ordered the White labs for the last two batches of beer I've made. My question is this, Why, in both cases, did the things spew when I opened them, and how do you prevent it? Also, my buddy and I brewed yesterday, and made what was intended to be a California Common style beer. All went well, and we nailed the target gravity. It was a beautiful day, we had lots of good food. The kids played and had fun. One glitch: we forgot the final hop addition and didn't recognize it until we were chilled and ready to pitch the (spewing) yeast. I've never actually dry hopped a beer before, and suddenly intend to. Can't be any more off style than it is if I don't do it..... Any suggestions on the most sanitary way to do this? Thanks Ben Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2003 19:07:07 -0500 From: stencil <etcs.ret at verizon.net> Subject: Mash Mixer torque Pat Reddy asks >>Does anyone know, or care to guess, about how much torque is required (in >>lbs/in) to stir a 10 gallon mash tun? >>I'm looking for a used gearmotor to fit my needs and I've found several but >>I'm not sure if their powerful enough. For a couple of years now I've been agitating mash with a maple impeller diven by a 3/8-in variable-speed electric hand drill. The drill is rated at 3 amps at 115VAC, which makes it less than a half horse, more than a quarter. I've never had it wide open. The impeller is bandsawed from a 2X3X6 block of maple; the blades have an attack of around 30 degrees. At a depth of about 10 inches and around 75 RPM, there's good circulation and only minimal surface turbulance. The drill's mounting bracket is bolted directly to the mashtun's snug-fitting lid, so air pickup apparently is negligible. (I've never had a batch survive long enough to exhibit stallor.) If you feel that the depth of the 10-gal tun will run the viscosity beyond this scale, Harbor Freight has a 1/2-in drive 7-amp hammer drill - around $25 - that you probably could stir *dry* grain with. stencil sends Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2003 21:51:02 -0500 From: "Tom & Dana Karnowski" <karnowsk at esper.com> Subject: overnight mashing redux I posted a few months ago about my overnight mashing experiences with some Belgian ales I was making. I mashed kind of low and got a really low final gravity. I was concerned that this was due to the overnight mashing, not just the low temprature, and it made me wonder if overnight mashing was flawed. Since then I've overnight mashed a few other times (with no mash out - I reach mash temperature and go to bed, and let the thing sit all night). I've had better results because I've mashed at a slightly higher temperature than I normally would (by just a few degrees higher) Incidentally the Belgian beers I made at that first overnight mashing have done well at recent Southeastern competitions, with the two beers taking 3 ribbons in two competitions and receiving high scores overall. This is not to say a whole lot, as you probably know if you enter competitions regularly, but it does say something. So let me say I'm a believer in overnight mashing again, and I hope to do it sometime very soon. I recommend it to anyone wanting to make better use of their brewing time, but bear in mind that mashing at low temperatures can really increase your attenuation. Tom Karnowski Knoxville TN Return to table of contents
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2003 22:49:11 -0500 From: Jeff Renner <jeffrenner at comcast.net> Subject: Beerjolais nouveau Brewers How young have you served your beer? How about five days? Here's the story, which includes a stupid brewer's trick. Last evening was our 21st annual pizza party (I have a commercial pizza oven in my at-home bakery). I planned to brew my McGinty's Irish-American Red Ale http://hbd.org/hbd/archive/3848.html#3848-21 for it (but with half the chocolate malt). It's a great pizza beer - easy drinking but interesting enough for beer fans. But starting a month ago, on three consecutive Mondays (my day off when I brew), it's been too cold to brew, even in the garage - afternoon highs in the teens and single digits or lower in the mornings at the beginning of brewing. Besides, I had a nice British-style bitter that would work fine, even thought it's perhaps a little bitter for a pizza party. I had brewed 7.75 gallons (30 liters) six weeks ago for an occasion, but we ended up drinking only two gallons from the five gallon Corney I had racked from the Sankey. I'd been drinking from the Sahkey, so I had a little less than five gallons split between the Corney and the Sankey. So I did brew the McGinty's last Monday and kegged it in a Sankey on Friday morning, sealed it and put in the cellar at 50F, figuring I'd let it finish fermenting the last point or two and clear. It was a little hazy, but the WhiteLabs new Essex (which I provided from England) cleared fast. I planned to carbonate it later. Even thought it would be too late for the pizza party, we're having house guests (my sister and brother-in-law) in a few weeks and they would help drink it up. Then yesterday at 5:00 PM, the pizza dough was made, the oven was hot, the guests were coming in an hour, so I figured I'd better rack the rest of the bitter from the Sankey to the Corney. I planned to push it out of the Sankey with CO2 and stop when it started to gurgle to leave the yeasty sediment behind. I'd done it a hundred times. But, when I was done and was disconnecting the lines, I notices there was a lot of yeasty foam on the connectors. So I checked the beer in the Corney - it was as thick as a milk shake! The whole keg full! There must have been a lot more yeast in the bottom of that Sankey than I realized. So here it was, an hour before 40 thirsty people arrived to eat salty pizza and drink my beer, and it looked like they were going to need a spoon for the ale. But wait! I had a quarter barrel of flat, slightly hazy five-day-old Irish-American Ale. And one hour to go. Quick! I hooked up the CO2, cranked it up to 35 psi, laid the Sankey on its side and rolled it back and forth. In ten minutes, I started turning the pressure down until it was at 10 psi. Drew a sample. Perfect! The McGinty's was a hit. No one minded the haziness, and it was probably better choice than the bitter would have been. So, five days old. And it tasted pretty damn good. Can you top that? Jeff - -- Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, JeffRenner at comcast.net "One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943 Return to table of contents
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